


Barrier

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-31
Updated: 2011-12-31
Packaged: 2017-10-28 15:34:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles finds it difficult to deal with Erik's thought process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barrier

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **pocky_slash** 's writing chat, to the prompt "translation problems".

Erik still thinks in German. Sometimes it’s Yiddish, but usually it’s German. Especially when he’s alone. The collection of German books that still occupy the Xavier library make it very easy for Erik to not have to switch into English unless it’s required of him. Charles asks him about it most of the time, even though he never speaks German (unless he’s cursing at Sean for breaking another tumbler or Alex for being stupid with the bomb shelter), but his thoughts are always orderly and guttural.

Charles hates that Erik doesn’t think in English, if only because Charles loses that vague sense of knowing Erik’s ideas when they aren’t near each other. He’s asking, constantly, for Erik’s thoughts, and it’s maddening to him. He’s never had to work so hard for information before.

It’s not that Charles _wants_ to read Erik’s mind, but there’s always the impression that Charles has from everyone in the house as they go about their days. Raven’s the only exception, but their case has long been established and he doesn’t begrudge her the privacy that she should be afforded for living with him for fourteen years. Only, it’s impossible to know if Erik’s content or worried when his thoughts are all in German.

As the days carry on, Charles presses more and more each day to get Erik to switch his internal monologue.

“Why don’t you think in English, Erik? You speak it so well,” Charles says one night, chess set between them.

“It’s not my first language. Do you speak to yourself in Latin?” Erik responds, fingers ready to move a piece.

“I understand that, but I never hear you speaking German, so I don’t see why your brain won’t think in English if it speaks it.”

There’s a very pregnant pause as Erik’s fingers still linger over the piece. “It takes me a few seconds to convert my thoughts to English, regularly.”

“I didn’t see that last night,” Charles retorts, smile curving onto his lips.

“Debates are entirely different,” Erik counters. “When I’m just with myself, it’s just easier to go with what I know. Not what I’ve learned.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

“How kind of you, Charles.”

“I don’t mean it like that, Erik. I just,” Charles trails off. “I don’t like being so in the dark with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Usually, I can sense, in a vague way, what everyone is thinking--not really sentences, but ideas--but you’re impossible when it’s German up there.”

The laugh that comes from Erik is nearly monomaniacal, and Charles has to laugh in turn.

“If it helps,” Erik breaths out as the laughter dies, “I’ll try to think in English more.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

Charles picks up from across that table that Erik thinks himself more than just a friend, but doesn’t press the issue in the least.


End file.
